Fox News Wednesday notified Tucker Carlson's lawyers that the former prime-time anchor violated his contract with the network when he launched his own Twitter show on Tuesday, according to a copy of a letter obtained by Axios.
Why it matters: A breach of contract claim sets Fox News up to explore potential legal action against Carlson, a move that would intensify the already thorny public battle between the two parties.
Carlson's lawyers told Axios that any legal action by Fox would violate his First Amendment rights.
Catch up quick: Carlson was ousted from Fox News in April following a record $757 million defamation settlement with Dominion Voting Systems, which sued the network for making false claims about the company.
Details: Shortly after Carlson posted the first episode of his new show on Twitter Tuesday evening, Fox News general counsel Bernard Gugar sent a letter to Carlson's lawyers saying Carlson "is in breach" of his contract agreement.
The letter refers to Carlson's contract, which was originally signed on November 8, 2019 and amended on February 16, 2021.
Between the lines: Carlson's legal team, according to a source familiar with its thinking, objects to the network's effort to block Carlson's Twitter appearances because, they believe, Twitter is not directly competitive with Fox News.
The big picture: Carlson has been leveraging allies, such as former NFL quarterback Brett Favre, to put pressure on the network to let him out of his contract.
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